B-Sides Send Message

I will warn you up front: there is a reason some people compare gunpowder tea to licking the bottom of an ashtray. I can see how people come away with that impression, and I don’t think gunpowder green tea will be for everyone.

Having said that, this tea has a smokeyness that is unmatched. And its not an out-of-whack flavor that overwhelmes, but a balanced flavor that is both intereseting and challenging.

Probably not an every day tea for most, but its perfect in the right amounts. I would absolutely recommend against using this tea as your first experience into green teas.

If you like it however, its a great value. The price on this tea is great and it stands up very well to multiple infusions. Each infusion tends to be a little less smokey than the last, even with more brewing time.

A nice tea, but it suffers from the same fate as so many greens (and a few blacks) in my book: Its just meh.

The color isn’t overwhelming. Its a light green with a slight hint of brown.

And the flavor, its light. In my greens I’m looking for either a nice sweetness or a slight bitterness. This tea seems to be trying for the former, but just ends up too weak really make much of an impact. Instead, it ends up reminding me of a white tea.

A good tea. Possibly a good tea for someone looking to try a green tea for the first time, or someone who finds the green’s they’ve tasted to be too bitter or grassy, but not the right tea for me.

I brew most of my greens for 1 minute for the first infusion and up the time from there for each additional infusion. I might have give this more time in the future.

An almost nuclear green liquor. If you’ve ever played a video game featuring nuclear radiation, you are probably familiar with the color of this tea in the cup. Its not unpleasant, and I feel I need to say that after reading my first two sentences.

A slightly bitter first taste glides into a more balanced… er, sweetness … followed again by a slightly bitter but not overwhelmingly bitter aftertaste.

I really link this tea and use it, when I have it stocked, as an every day type of drink. This summer I plan on trying it iced.

The one warning I have: Be very careful on brewing times, and if at first you don’t like this tea, experiment with various brewing times. Sencha Overture can go very bitter if left to steep too long. I go one minute on the first infusion of all my green teas, but I highly recommend it for this one. And keep an eye on it. If you let it sit to the 5 minute mark by accident, it probably won’t be salvageable.

A very light liqour. Although Adagio advertises this tea as “like that of a sweet bun, with biscuit and butter-like notes,” I did not find that description to be true of either of my infusions.

It’s fine. Good even. But for me it seemed weak and lacked the sweetness not only described by Adagio but even the sweetness that I expected as a frequent tea drinker.

I always see people who are looking for a good tea to dip their toe into the green tea world. This would probably would make an excellent choice for someone looking to try a green tea but scared by its somewhat fussy and sometimes bitter nature.

Rich and robust and complex. Liquor isn’t real dark, more of an amber. Not as strong as some black tea, say an assam, but not as overwhelming, either. And more complex. This isn’t a tea that is going to punch you in the mouth, coffee style. Its more like a wine. You have to appreciate it and its depths.

Probably worth trying just for the unique shape. The curled balls (pellets?) of the tea are interesting to look at both in the jar and during the brewing process, as water bubbles spring forth from the orbs as they slowly unfurl.

A pronounced prebrewing scent of dirt and a brewed flavor that reminds me of a forest floor. Unless a tea was absolutely undrinkably bad, I would not rate it as bad, but this tea is not for me right now. Though I can see why it might have its supporters. Its interesting, its been a conversation piece and I have a cup now and then for the experience, but neither an everyday tea nor a favorite.

It definitely has a smoked flavor, though I’m afraid I missed the promised Mesquite flavor. Its definitely a niche tea, alongside GenMa Cha and Casablanca Twist. A nice change of pace tea, but certainly not an every day variety. I’ve actually come to like this tea less over time.

Nice mint/spearmint taste balanced by the tea, which prevents the drink from becoming like mouthrinse. Makes a nice after dinner drink. Mint can be a tad overwhelming, which prevents it from becoming an everyday tea.

“I’m a fan of green teas and I’ve tried a fair share of the Adagio stock, but this is by far my favorite so far. Great green flavor with a slightly sweet hint without being too grassy. Certainly deserves and has earned its everyday tea moniker.